The AW101 medium-lift helicopter is manufactured by AgustaWestland International (formerly EH Industries), a joint venture company formed by Agusta of Italy and UK company GKN Westland. The EH101 helicopter program has been developed for both civil and military applications.

As air ambulance, the cabin has room for a medical team and 16 stretchers. For SAR there is room to accommodate at least 20 survivors and for disaster relief as many as 55 evacuees.

A version of the EH101 medium-lift helicopter is on offer for the US military market.

The utility helicopter has a rear ramp and can carry rappelling kit, underslung load provision, search light, rescue hoist and stretchers. The heavy duty cabin floor and ramp are equipped with flush tie-down points, a roller conveyer for palleted freight and a cargo winch for non self-loading freight.

Design:

The rugged modular structure incorporates crashworthy and damage-tolerant features, including a five-blade main rotor, four-blade teetering rotor and main lift frame which includes multiple primary and secondary load paths.

The fuselage is mainly of aluminium-lithium construction. The aerodynamic rotor blades are constructed from carbon / glass with nomex honeycomb and rohacell foam. Active vibration control of the structural response (ACSR) uses a vibration cancelling technique.

The helicopter operates in temperatures ranging from -40°C to +50°C. An ice protection system allows operation in known icing conditions. An engine inlet particle separator system provides protection in sandy environments. High flotation tyres and efficient landing gear permit operation from soft or rough terrain.